The court heard how Carter, who also works as a milk woman, owned the farm and most of the animals, while Hampton stayed in a caravan and was responsible for looking after the animals.

At a court hearing last October Carter had pleaded guilty to one charge of causing unnecessary suffering to a miniature Shetland pony and two charges of failing to provide a safe environment for pigs and cattle. These offences were committed in 2016 and 2017.

She also pleaded guilty to four new animal welfare offences, that in December she did not provide bedding for poultry, that in February poultry were exposed to dangerous items and were not given water, and that she failed to investigate and address the causes of a severely emaciated sheep.

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Previously Hampton had also pleaded guilty to three charges of failing to care for animals and two of not providing a suitable environment for animals, dating from 2016 and 2017.

He too faced a new charge that in February he failed to take steps to avoid exposing sheep, cattle and pigs from dangerous items.

Trevor Hampton outside Truro Magistrates' Court (Image: Sally Adams)

Kevin Hill, prosecuting for Cornwall Council, said the offences came in two parts: the first between December 2016 and March 2017, and then new offences, as a result of further farm inspections by Cornwall Council in December 2016 and February of this year.

Mr Hill said an RSPCA inspector was called to a paddock at the farm in March last year, where a miniature Shetland pony belonging to Carter was found to have severely overgrown hooves.

He said: “It struggled to get to its feet and the inspector could see its hooves were very long and misshapen. It struggled a few paces up the paddock and stopped again.”

The court heard how Carter said at interview that the animal was known informally as ‘the rocking horse’ and said it had “always walked funny”.

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Concerns were also raised about the number of cattle, the space provided in a large barn and the mixing of bulls, cows, calves and heifers, which was against good practice.

In another visit, in December, inspectors found collapsed fences and trailing barbed wire, as well as metal panels with exposed sharp edges.

Mr Hill said the fields included scrap farm machinery, an old battery and exposed nails, all of which posed a risk to the animals.

Turning to the free range birds, Mr Hill said while some had access to water and fresh bedding, others did not. Four ducks were kept in complete darkness with no ability to swim or bathe their heads, he added.

He said the inspectors also found a sheep which was so severely emaciated it was almost dead.

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District judge Diana Baker said: “I’ve heard, and it’s clear, the council has been trying to work with Mr Hampton and Ms Carter over a number of years. Despite warnings being given, they have not led to an acceptable level of improvement.”

She said the pony and sheep had suffered over a long period of time.

She added: “It is quite clear Ms Carter’s vet has been working with them over a period of time and has confirmed how much they have been able to achieve.

“He confirms it will be some years before the farm is up to an excellent standard. I do believe it is only recently that both Ms Carter and Mr Hampton have accepted their responsibilities.

“I think Mr Hampton has been rather set in his ways and taken some time to accept the need for modern farming standards. I think Ms Carter has not been strong enough in ensuring those standards were met.”